What’s stopping Anjanette from coming home?

Curtain-raisers:

• Camille Velasco may have been eliminated from the ongoing American Idol finals (with only Jasmine Trias as the only Filipina left in the race) but, according to Funfare’s Toronto-based "international correspondent" Ferdinand Lapuz, Camille is included in the American Idol Season 3 compilation which should be out in the market now. All 12 finalists did their "soul" songs. They’ll be touring 40 cities once the show is over.

• What’s happening to Primeline, Inc.? Its talents are leaving one by one, like Tootsie Guevarra, Aliya Parcs, Jed Madela and a few others. Nancy Castiglione quit, too, and is now being managed by the GMA Artist Center. Could it be true that Lani Misalucha is leaving Primeline, too? Will Primeline head Ronnie Henares (and wife Ida) please enlighten us on this "exodus"?

• A Funfare DPA said that Vic Sotto and his girlfriend (Miss P) are "very much on" but they’re keeping a low profile. They are often seen having dinner with friends in different restaurants in Makati. Miss P is getting closer to Vic’s children (yeah, "all of them!"). Sometimes, her Mazda is seen parked in front of Vic’s house late evenings or early mornings. "Good news, isn’t it?" added the DPA. "We should be glad that Vic has finally found someone to love, never mind if she’s only a year older than his (and ex-wife Dina Bonnevie’s) daughter Danica."

* * *

The coast is clear, so to speak, with her name dropped from the Philippine Government’s "persona non-grata list" and with a go-signal to return to the country. But still, Anjanette Abayari seems to be dilly-dallying, keeping showbiz-watchers guessing whether she’s coming or opting to remain in Los Angeles where she has been based since late 1999 after that unfortunate incident at the Guam airport.

What’s stopping AJ from coming home and resuming her rudely-interrupted career?

"I’m going back (to the Philippines), definitely," AJ told Funfare last week after ABS-CBN Global’s The Filipino Channel’s 10th-anniversary show at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, beamed "live" to A.S.A.P. Mania Sunday (April 4), where AJ was one of the performers. "But Boy (Abunda, her manager) advised me to do so after the May 10 elections. I could have gone home late last year pa. I’m just waiting for Boy’s go-signal."

If AJ was somewhat nervous during the Cow Palace show, it was because she was dancing "on-cam" for the first time in five years. She flew to Sanfo from L.A. (and so did L.A.-based G Tongi) purposely for the show.

"I learned the steps a few hours before the show," said AJ who was accompanied by her Mexican boyfriend (of six months), Jake Gomez. "But I enjoyed it. I realized after the show how much I really missed showbiz. The last time I danced on TV was the night before I left the Philippines. That was five years ago!"

If and when she comes back, what does AJ expect?

"Honestly," she said, "I don’t want to expect anything. Basta, I’m ready for anything." (I heard that ABS-CBN might include AJ in the A.S.A.P. Mania cast as soon as she comes back.)

Meanwhile, AJ keeps herself busy with occasional modeling jobs in L.A., making regular trips to the gym and helping take care of her siblings’ kids.

How different is the Anjanette Abayari now from the Anjanette Abayari then?

"Not much. Now, I guess I’m more outgoing and friendlier. I’m still me. I’ve learned my lesson."

Miss India dethroned

So you think it happens only in the Philippines, do you? A beauty queen being dethroned, that is. Well, think again.

So far, a few Bb. Pilipinas winners have been stripped of their titles due to this and that technicality, one of them Anjanette Abayari (in the early ’90s) because of lack of residency. She was replaced by Alu Gonzales in that year’s Miss Universe Pageant held in Las Vegas (with Kuh Ledesma, Alu’s lookalike, among the judges). There was also Janelle Bautista (also US-based like AJ) who lost her Binibini crown for the same technicality.

The new Miss India-World, 22-year-old Lakshmi Pandit, was withdrawn from the Miss World contest (to be held later this year again in China) following a controversy over her marital status, according to the latest issue of Time magazine (Notebook section).

The news item stated that "Pandit said she once claimed to be married to a fellow model to rent an apartment." In 1989, noted Time, Pandit’s sister Kalpana withdrew also from the Miss World contest when it was discovered that she was an American citizen.

See. It could happen to any beauty queen in any corner of the world.

More star graduates

The roster of stars with college degree printed in Funfare a few issues ago was not complete. Coney Reyes called to remind me that she’s an AB Communication Arts graduate from Maryknoll. Reader Deborah Ligon clarified that Mikee Cojuangco graduated with an AB Psychology, not AB Interdisciplinary Studies, degree from Ateneo. Reader Marlon Reyes said that Tintin Bersola is a cum laude graduate from UP; while reader Jerome Tandoc said that Julio Diaz’s X-Ray Technician is a non-degree course.

Reader Mark (Dubai, UAE) has more names to add to the list: Bayani Agbayani (Broadcast Communications), Tado (Clinical Psychology), Marc Logan (Journalism), Love Añover (AB Filipino), Dante Balboa (Architecture), Marco Sison (Commerce) and Ted Failon (Broadcast Communication).

Here’s one more rejoinder:

I am McRonald Banderlipe, a graduating History major and a College of Social Sciences and Philosophy student council officer at UP Diliman and a regular follower of your column.

I wish to correct some errors regarding the info in your column dated 6 April 2004. I know you and your researchers are pressed for deadlines so mistakes are a given in journalism. Anyway, here are the facts:

1. Franco Laurel did not finish at Tokyo University. He graduated from Keio University in Tokyo. One of my professors at UP Diliman graduated from Tokyo University around the same time Franco was in Japan. Tokyo U is Japan's UP Diliman. Both are national universities. Keio is roughly similar to La Salle and UAP – a good university catering mostly to the upper class.

2. Liberal Arts no longer exists as a major in UP, UST, La Salle and Ateneo. Drama does not exist as a course in UP. Its new name is "Theater Arts" as defined by its stalwarts National Artist Wilfrido Maria Guerrero, Tony Mabesa, Behn Cervantes, Amiel Leonardia, Cris Vertido, Anton Juan, Jose Estrella, Edna Mae Landicho, Alex Cortes and Ogie Juliano.

3. Here are other corrections:

a. Eula Valdez finished AB Asian Studies (not Liberal Arts) at UST

b. Harlene Bautista finished Theater Arts (not Drama) at UP

c. Ogie Alcasid finished grade school and high school at La Salle (not Mass Comm). He finished Mass Comm (not Drama) at UP Diliman

d. Jennifer Sevilla finished AB Communication Arts (not Liberal Arts) at UST

e. Kuh Ledesma finished Nursing at University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Bacolod.

f. Susan Valdez finished Nursing at UP Manila

g. Herbert Bautista, in addition to his AB Philo at San Beda, also finished Master’s in Public Administration at UP)

4. Other notable additions to your list:

a. Candy Pangilinan, Eugene Domingo, Marina’s co-director Direk Andoy Ranay of ABS CBN 2 (Theater Arts at UP)

b. Giselle Sanchez (BA Broadcast Communication at UP as class valedictorian and magna cum laude)

c. Joel Lamangan (Philippine Studies at UP Diliman)

d. Benjie Paras (Tourism at UP Diliman)

e. Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2001 Zorayda Ruth Andam (BS Business Economics cum laude in 1998 and Bachelor of Laws at UP DIliman on April 2004 as one of the topnotchers in her batch – a certified bar exam contender)

f. Bb. Pilipinas 2001 first runner-up and Miss Tourism World/Miss Tourism International Michelle Reyes (BS Nursing at UST)

g. Many showbiz personalities from UP Mass Comm: From ABS CBN – Congressman Gilbert Remulla, Karen Davila, Abner Mercado, Christine Bersola, Jay Ruiz, Kathy San Gabriel, ABS CBN Senior VP Enrico Santos and ABS CBN VP for Talk Roldeo Endrinal; from GMA 7 – Mich Cruz, Debate and director Dodge Dillague

h. From UST, Arts and Letters: Patrick Paez and Jim Libiran of The Correspondents, and beauty queens Gem Padilla and Mutya Laxa

i. From UP, Economics: Bart Guingona, Jon Santos and Debate co-host Winnie Monsod

j. From UST, Physical Therapy: Master Showman’s John Nite and Miriam Quiambao

There are many more people from showbiz who are certified degree holders. I am happy that you brought this out in your column. I hope many showbiz personalities will pursue their degrees to prove that showbiz people have "brains," too.

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